title: Arterial stiffness is increased in asymptomatic nondiabetic postmenopausal women with a polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The metabolic dysfunction accompanying the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although menopause per se may be an additional risk factor of CVD, the association between PCOS in postmenopausal women and cardiovascular risk has not been adequately investigated. We aimed to evaluate the effect of PCOS on markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in nondiabetic postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 286 postmenopausal women with intact ovaries. PCOS phenotype was defined if three of the following were present: insulin resistance, current hyperandrogenism or history of clinical androgen excess, history of infertility, central obesity and history of irregular menses. Traditional CVD risk factors, as well as indices of arterial structure (intima-media thickness, atheromatous plaques presence) and function [flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index] were compared between women with a PCOS phenotype and the rest of the sample, who served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with the PCOS phenotype (N=43) had higher SBP and triglycerides and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol than controls. Mean values of PWV differed significantly between PCOS cases and controls (9.46±1.74 vs. 8.60±1.51 m/s, P=0.001, univariate). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the PCOS phenotype, age and SBP were the only independent predictors of PWV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arterial stiffness is increased in asymptomatic, nondiabetic women with a putative PCOS phenotype, independently of age, BMI or blood pressure. This might present one mechanism through which PCOS increases the risk of CVD and hypertension later in life.
authors.affiliation: a2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital bDepartment of Therapeutics, University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital cHormonal Laboratory, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Armeni
authors.forename: Kimon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stamatelopoulos
authors.forename: Demetrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgiopoulos
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazani
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kazani
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolyviras
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stellos
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panoulis
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexandrou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Creatsa
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papamichael
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lambrinoudaki
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000150:complications; D007246:Infertility / Q000150:complications; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017698:Postmenopause; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014280:Triglycerides